Health and
Life Sciences
Sociology & Criminology
Referred Coursework 2010-11
University of the West of England
Contents
Page No.
Instructions ................................................................................................................................. 3
Level 1 ........................................................................................................................................ 4
UZSNLB-30-1 The Individual and Society ................................................................................ 4
UZSNLC-30-1 Other People’s Lives: Comparative Sociology ................................................. 4
UZSNLD-30-1 Introduction to Criminological Theory ............................................................... 4
UZSNLE-30-1 Introduction to Criminal Justice ......................................................................... 5
UZSNLF-30-1 Sociological Foundations .................................................................................. 6
UZSNLG-30-1 Sociological Practice ........................................................................................ 8
Level 2 ........................................................................................................................................ 9
UZSNMB-30-2 Beliefs and Society .......................................................................................... 9
UZSNMH-30-2 The Social Psychology of Individual and Group Processes .......................... 10
UZSNMQ-30-2 Psychoanalysis and the Sociology of Racism ............................................... 11
UZSNMV-30-2 Action Learning .............................................................................................. 11
UZSNMW-30-2 Criminological Research and Investigation ................................................... 11
UZSNMX-30-2 Youth Crime, Youth Justice ........................................................................... 12
UZSNNC-30-2 Criminal Psychology....................................................................................... 12
UZSNNL-30-2 Medicine and Social Control ........................................................................... 12
UZSNNN-15-2 The Sociology of Madness and Mental Disorders ......................................... 12
UZSNNP-15-2 Self Stigma and Self Identity .......................................................................... 13
UZSNNU-30-2 Transgression ................................................................................................ 13
UZSNRA-30-2 Social Inequalities and Identities .................................................................... 13
UZSNRB-30-2 Sociological Research and Investigation ....................................................... 14
Level 3 ...................................................................................................................................... 15
UZSNPA-30-3 Contemporary Critiques of Modern Society ................................................... 15
UZSNPJ-30-3 Project Unit in Sociology ................................................................................. 15
UZSNPK-30-3 Psychoanalysis and Society ........................................................................... 16
UZSNPS-15-3 Real and Virtual Worlds: On the Sociology of Cyberspace ............................ 16
UZSNPU-30-3 Social Psychology of Violence and Crime...................................................... 16
UZSNPW-30-3 Criminology Project ....................................................................................... 16
UZSNQA-30-3 Critical Criminology ........................................................................................ 17
UZSNQB-30-3 Criminal Justice Placement ............................................................................ 17
UZSNQD-30-3 Sociology Placement Module......................................................................... 17
UZSNQG-15-3 Victims and Victimology ................................................................................. 17
UZSNQH-30-3 Stop, Look, Listen! A Sociology of Culture ................................................... 18
UZSNQK-30-3 Comparative and Transnational Criminology ................................................. 18
UZSNQL-15-3 Governing Bodies, Trafficking and Markets ................................................... 18
UZSNQN-30-3 Representations of Crime and Deviance ....................................................... 19
UZSNQP-30-3 Childhood Disorder and Disordered Childhood ............................................. 19
UZSNQR-15-3 Social Movement, Political Action and Social Change .................................. 19
UZSNQS-15-3 Globalisation, Power and Identity .................................................................. 20
UZSNQU-30-3 The Family, Community and Crime ............................................................... 20
UZSNQV-15-3 Terrorism ........................................................................................................ 20
Instructions
The work you need to do is set out in this booklet in Level and Module Name order. If you have any
difficulty understanding what you have to do you must contact a Student Adviser immediately,
studentadvisers.hlss@uwe.ac.uk
Should you need further information, or assistance with your referral you may be able to contact the
module leader by e-mail. Please however, remember that academic staff will not necessarily be
available over the summer vacation; you should not expect to receive additional help.
Please submit the work, using the online coversheet, which you can download from myUWE, by 8
August 2011 by 2.00pm either by hand delivery to the Frenchay reception,
Or, by post addressed to the Faculty Office:
HLSS
UWE Frenchay Campus
Coldharbour Lane
Frenchay
BRISTOL BS16 1QY
If you post the work to us you will need to obtain a ‘proof of posting’ which indicates that it was
posted before the 2.00pm deadline.
Please also remember, it is essential that you keep a copy of the work for your own records.
Level 1
UZSNLB-30-1 The Individual and Society
You are required to submit TWO essays of 2000 words each, from the following titles:
1.
Why have sociologists jettisoned the notion of the ‘life cycle’ in preference for the concept of
the ‘life course’?
2.
Is contemporary childhood in ‘crisis’?
3.
Why do all societies attempt to control the sexuality of young people?
4.
Is the nuclear family a thing of the past?
5.
Consider the major discontinuities of the life course. How do people deal with the negative
effects of these discontinuities?
6.
‘Life begins at forty’. Is this statement correct in terms of experiences of mid-life?
7.
What factors shape people’s experiences of old age?
8.
What is distinctive about Western perceptions of death?
If you have any queries, please contact Stephen Hunt. You may also raise them with your seminar
tutor.
UZSNLC-30-1 Other People’s Lives: Comparative Sociology
You are required to write a 2000 word essay from one of the following titles:
1. Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of ethnography as a method of comparative sociology.
2. What are the social, economic, political and cultural significance of gift giving on small-scale
societies?
3. Is gender a product of nature or nurture? Illustrate your answer with reference to cross-cultural
comparisons of gender.
4. What roles did the witch hunts play in the formation of modern societies?
5. In what ways has globalization affected non-modern cultures?
UZSNLD-30-1 Introduction to Criminological Theory
You are required to write an essay of not more than 3000 words from the following titles, choosing a
different title from that of your original submission:
1. Has the post-war period in the UK witnessed a ‘crime explosion’ or a ‘data explosion’? Discuss
with reference to the chief advantages and disadvantages of official crime statistics.
2. What is meant by the terms ‘social disorganisation’ and ‘differential association’? How useful
are they in explaining juvenile delinquency?
3. ‘The cardinal American virtue, ambition, promotes a cardinal American vice, deviant behaviour’
(Merton). Discuss.
4. Compare and contrast the ‘reactive’ and ‘independent’ conceptions of the delinquent lowerclass subculture. Which type of account do you prefer and why?
5. ‘Social groups create deviance by making the rules whose infraction constitutes deviance and
applying these to particular people and labelling them as outsiders’ (Becker). Discuss the idea
that crime is best understood as a process of symbolic interaction.
6. Critically evaluate the contribution of either Marxist or New Left Realist perspectives to our
understanding of crime and criminal justice.
7. Discuss the ways in which institutionalised sexism in the criminal justice system impacts
differently upon men and women as offenders and victims of crime.
8. How do feminist criminologists account for gendered patterns of crime and victimisation in
contemporary UK society and how successfully?
9. Why has there been a massive growth of the prison system in America since the 1970s?
10. Describe and assess the contribution of Travis Hirschi’s Control Theory to understanding crime
and delinquency and criminal justice policies.
UZSNLE-30-1 Introduction to Criminal Justice
You are required to submit two reports and one essay worth a combined 65% of your overall
module mark. You must submit all three.
1 x 500 word report (10%)
Write a 500 word report summarizing your understanding of:
'What is the Criminal Justice System?'
Your report should be supported by relevant academic and other appropriate sources which should
be referenced using the Harvard System.
1 x 1500 word report (25%)
Write a 1500 word report based on your experience of visiting the court.
The report should be grounded in what you have learnt to date on the course drawing on the
material covered in lectures and seminars as well as your own independent research and reading.
You should attempt to critical evaluate what you have seen as well as describe it.
Your report should be supported by a range of relevant academic and other appropriate sources
referenced using the Harvard System
1 x 2000 word essay (25%)
(Choose one of the following essay titles)
1.
What alternatives do the courts have to prison sentences? How appropriate and effective are
these options?
2.
What impact, if any, does a person’s class have on their treatment by the Criminal Justice
System?
3.
Why do miscarriages of justice occur and how can they be rectified?
UZSNLF-30-1 Sociological Foundations
You are required to submit two pieces of coursework, one skills-based (1500 words), the other a
piece of critical reflection (2000 words). Please refer to BlackBoard for further information.
Critical Reflection
You are required to reflect on your experience of studying the foundations of the discipline of
sociology. In your reflection you should consider TWO aspects of your learning experience. Firstly,
you should reflect on the sociological content of your learning (ie what you learned – what
sociological knowledge did you gain?). Secondly, you should reflect on the process of your
learning both within your workshop and as an individual learner.
All methods of assessment test particular skills. Here we are keen to see that you can write a
sustained piece of work: we also want to see how you evaluate the experience of becoming an
independent learner.
What you have to do
You must compose a piece of writing in which you consider the approach to the organization of
social life developed by one of the ‘founding fathers’ of the discipline – Marx, Weber or Durkheim.
You should reflect critically on the work of your chosen theorist and on the process of your learning.
You must focus on the development of your sociological understanding and also on the
development of your skills as an independent learner.
A) Content:
1. Consider in detail ONE of the following sociological concepts: alienation (Marx); anomie
(Durkheim); rationalization (Weber)
2. Identify the limitations and shortcomings of the concept you have chosen
B) Process: You should reflect on the following points
1. How well (or not) your workshop group (not simply PBL group!) performed
2. How well (or not) you personally worked as a member of your group
3. How you plan to improve your own learning approach in order to progress
as an independent learner
In your reflection you should address each of the five points above and treat them with equal
importance. If you did not participate in a workshop please see the alternative task below.
Your reflection should be completed in not more than 2000 words. You MUST include a word
count and a bibliography. Failure to do so will incur a penalty (a deduction of 5 marks per
omission).
Alternative Task for non-participants in workshops
If you did not participate in workshops you should complete the ‘content’ section of the task and
then address the following questions:
a. What learning opportunities did you miss by not attending workshops?
b. What are the consequences for your learning of missing the workshops?
c. What strategies will you now adopt to make up for the disadvantage of having
missed the workshops?
Criteria
Please bear in mind that we, the examiners, are looking for evidence that candidates satisfactorily
demonstrate the learning outcomes for the module. You need therefore to reflect on the Learning
Outcomes for the module. You can find a copy in your module handbook (Page 5).
Skills Based Assignment
This assignment is designed to promote particular skills. These are set out below as learning
objectives. You will be provided with an extract from the work of Emile Durkheim and will be
required to complete the four tasks enumerated in section A below.
A. The form of the assignment
The assignment is in four related parts. These are as follows
1. a short commentary on the context of the extract (500 words – please include a word
count).
2. a summary of the argument, using the key concepts in the extract (500 words – please
include a word count).
3. an annotated list of ten sources articles that contain information relevant to the extract:
these should be books, articles and scholarly internet sites
4. a completed self-evaluation of your current skills and competences
B. What you should do
1. Please print off the extract you will find in the appropriate folder: it is labelled. Read the extract
very carefully and as many times as it takes to understand it.
The extract is taken from The Division of Labour in Society: that is its context. You are required to
write a 500 word commentary on that context. Your commentary should include:

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
when and why the book was written;
what its general thesis (ie the central argument) is;
where it is located in Durkheim’s body of work;
what its sociological significance is.
To do this, you will need to refer to the literature and especially the recommended texts. Make a
note of everything you cite (refer to) because you will need to provide a list of references (see B
point 3 above).
You should use the Harvard system of references when citing sources in your text and constructing
a list of references.
2. Next, you should summarise the argument in the extract in not more than 500 words.
Take some time to identify the key concepts and use that construct this section. Your aim is to
convince the examiners that you understand the extract. You should show
 how it fits into the context above
 why it is significant to the thesis

your understanding of the key concepts (eg social solidarity and social change)
3. Then, list ten sources that you have used to inform your work. These should include at least
three internet sources. This list should conform completely with the Harvard system of
referencing.
4. Finally, complete the self-evaluation sheet indicating what you think of your scholarly skills at
this point.
C. Learning objectives
Scholarly skills
1. To consolidate information gathering skills, including electronic sources
2. To embed the Harvard system of referencing
3. To foster self-evaluation of skills and competences
Content development
1. To give an indication of key aspects of Durkheim’s social theory
2. To draw attention to different approaches to social change
UZSNLG-30-1 Sociological Practice
You are required to submit BOTH of the following:
Part A
A 2000 word essay from one of the following titles:
1.
What does thinking sociologically imply? Please answer the question with examples and
reference to literature related to the concept of ‘sociological imagination’.
2.
What do the terms explorative, descriptive and explanatory mean in relation to sociological
research? Please give examples of published research in relation to these terms.
3.
What is the role of comparison in Sociology? Drawing on materials covered this year, give
examples of comparative approaches.
4.
How and why do individuals’ life stories become relevant to sociological inquiry?
Part B
A 1500 word critical reflection – this should be a reworded version of your original submission.
For further details see Module Handbook.
Level 2
UZSNMB-30-2 Beliefs and Society
You will be required to submit ONE essay of 3000 words from the following titles:
1.
In the context of ONE of the following, assess the usefulness of the social constructionist
hypothesis:
a) Sex and sexuality
b) Ageing and death
2.
How far does language work to reproduce either gender or racial divisions?
3.
To what extent do we live in a therapy culture and what are the reasons for this?
4.
EITHER
a) To what extent are we manipulated by consumer culture?
OR
b) How far is it correct to say that there is a moral panic over gun crime?
5.
Critically evaluate New Age movements as typical of the way in which religiosity is expressed in
the late modern world.
6.
EITHER
a) For Foucault, why was madness silenced and the mad institutionalised?
OR
b) Why did the persecution of witches develop in western Europe during the mid 15th to mid 18th
centuries and why did they so rapidly decline?
7.
EITHER
a) How successful have sociologists been in explaining violence and hatred? Illustrate your
answer in relation to accounts of genocide or hate crimes in late modern society.
OR
b) Critically evaluate sociological explanations for the appeal of fundamentalisms in late
modernity.
For further guidance see the module handbook on Black Board, where you will find the grid the
essay assessment criteria and grading scheme. The latter relate to: Relevance of the content of the
essay to the question set; Structure and organization of the essay; Grounding in the literature and
use of evidence and supporting material; Clarity, coherence and depth of argument. The final
category is: Standard of literacy and presentation, which includes referencing and source attribution
as well as clarity of expression. In the Assessment folder in Blackboard, you will also find the
PowerPoint slides giving you more specific guidelines on writing essays, which is also generally
useful for writing essays in examinations.
UZSNMH-30-2 The Social Psychology of Individual and Group Processes
You are required to submit:
Part A A portfolio of 8 short pieces of work (max. 300 words each) evidencing research on one of
the following topics:
1.
Teenage motherhood is seen by many policy makers as a major social problem in the UK and
has been linked to social exclusion and delinquency. Other social commentators suggest that
young mothers have been scapegoated and are not a ‘problem’. You have been commissioned
to write a report which examines this issue. Your report should include:
a) A review of historical and cross-cultural evidence of teenage motherhood to assess whether
this is a ‘problem’ associated with ‘broken’ societies.
b) A discussion of the methodological problems in assessing whether this kind of behaviour is
problematic or not.
c) A review of UK literature on teenage motherhood that identifies different perspectives on
the problem.
d) Policy suggestions based on your findings ie if you find it to be a ‘problem’ how do we solve
it? If you don’t find it to be a ‘problem’, how do we support and ‘normalise’ young mothers?
e) A reference list in the Harvard style.
2.
The number of reported rapes has increased over recent years but the number of convictions
has fallen. You have been commissioned by the Home Office to research the role of cognitive
processes such as stereotyping and misattribution in this perceived failure of the criminal
justice system to adequately deal with the serious crime of rape. Your report should include:
a) A discussion of the statistics on rape and the problems associated with assessing the
extent of this crime over time in the UK.
b) A review of the literature on the causes of attrition in rape cases.
c) A discussion of how cognitive processes may impact on attrition at each stage of the
criminal justice process.
d) Your assessment of the importance of cognitive processes and recommendation for
improving rape conviction rates.
e) A reference list in the Harvard style.
3.
A number of US social commentators have argued that the torture of Iraqi prisoners in Abu
Ghraib is not exceptional but is actually symbolic of institutional homophobia, racism and
misogyny in the US. You have been asked to write a report which assesses this argument. The
report should include:
a) An examination of historical as well as contemporary evidence of torture by the military.
b) A review of literature on the causes of torture and related behaviour
c) A critical assessment of the argument that torture is the product of institutional processes
and takes culturally symbolic forms.
d) Policy recommendations for the prevention of torture that develop from the arguments
developed in early sections.
e) A reference list in the Harvard style.
Part B. A report outlining and assessing theories from different perspectives on the topic chosen
above. Use the assignment brief detailed in the module handbook to guide you on what should be
included in the report (2000 words).
UZSNMQ-30-2 Psychoanalysis and the Sociology of Racism
You are required to write an essay of not more than 3000 words from the following titles, choosing a
different title from that of your original submission:
1.
Critically assess Freud’s thesis on civilization.
2.
Can psychoanalysis be usefully referred to as a science?
3.
What appears repellently alien, is in fact, all too familiar – Discuss.
4.
Critically analyse Horkheimer and Adorno’s account of collective hatred.
5.
What is psychoexistentialism?
6.
Outline and assess Frantz Fanon’s account of the psychodynamics of colonialism.
7.
What is Phantasy?
8.
Explain the relationship between paranoid schizoid and depressive positions.
9.
Critically assess the concept of projective identification.
10. Does psychoanalysis add to our understanding of racism? – Discuss.
UZSNMV-30-2 Action Learning
Description of each element
1. Presentation
2. Revised learning log
3. Extended Essay
Element weighting
(20%)
(40%)
(40%)
For further details see Module Handbook.
UZSNMW-30-2 Criminological Research and Investigation
You are required to submit ALL of the following:
1.
Qualitative research methods report based on practical, empirical research (2,000 WORDS)
(30%)
2.
Quantitative research methods report based on practical, empirical research (2,000 WORDS)
(30%)
3.
Dissertation Research proposal (3,000 WORDS) (40%)
UZSNMX-30-2 Youth Crime, Youth Justice
You will be required to submit an essay of 3000 words on the following:
‘Restorative Justice is the answer to youth crime’. Discuss.
UZSNNC-30-2 Criminal Psychology
You are required to:
a)
Repeat the same case study that you failed (2500 words)
and
b)
Write a 2000 word essay on the following:
“Compare, contrast and critically evaluate the effectiveness of the various offender profiling
techniques used in criminal psychology.”
For further details see Module Handbook.
UZSNNL-30-2 Medicine and Social Control
You are required to submit a 3000 word essay from the following list, choosing a different title from
that of your original submission.
1.
To what extent are contemporary genetic biobanks a new form of surveillance? Discuss with
reference EITHER to UK Biobank OR the National forensic database.
2.
What might be a feminist analysis of the case of Diane Blood?
3.
Discuss the Harold Shipman inquiry and give a sociological explanation of his abuse of
professional power?
4.
To what extent does current abortion law restrict a woman’s right to do as she wishes with her
body? Discuss feminist perspectives on abortion in your answer.
5.
Explain what is meant by ‘surveillance medicine’ and critically evaluate Michel Foucault’s
contribution to understandings of contemporary health care systems.
6.
Why are the new genetic technologies controversial from the perspective of disability rights?
Discuss with reference to the work of Tom Shakespeare.
UZSNNN-15-2 The Sociology of Madness and Mental Disorders
You are required to submit a 2000 word literature review on any aspect of mental illness covered in
the module. The review may either be of a) an article from an academic journal or b) a book from
the reading list or another suitable volume (if unsure of its relevance please contact the module
leader). If you are unfamiliar with how to conduct a literature review please consult the blackboard
system for this module. There will be a ‘blog’ giving you advice on how it is done and precisely what
you are being marked for. Do not review the set book (this will give you no marks!). You must
choose a different piece of literature from that of your original submission.
UZSNNP-15-2 Self Stigma and Self Identity
You are required to submit a 2000 word essay from the following list, choosing a different title from
that of your original submission.
1.
What is Symbolic Interactionism? What is unique about Erving Goffman’s contribution to this
approach?
2.
What did Goffman mean by his terms ‘stigma’ and ‘moral career’?
3.
How do people labelled with a mental illness deal with their stigmatisation?
4.
How do prostitutes and others in the sex trade deal with their stigmatisation?
5.
How do non-heterosexual people deal with their stigmatisation?
6.
What is a total institution? What is it about such institutions that make them ‘total’?
7.
How do people manage their self and identity in such institutions as prisons and mental
institutions?
UZSNNU-30-2 Transgression
Coursework Referral 4,500 word (maximum) assignment:
Using your learning experiences on this module as a basis, outline how this module has
transformed your understanding of transgression. Please use examples to illustrate your argument.
The expected word count for this assignment is around 4,000 words with an absolute maximum of
4,500 words. This assignment is worth 75% of the overall mark for the module.
In essence we want you to detail your participation in this module and recall how your
perceptions about culture have changed through this participation.
UZSNRA-30-2 Social Inequalities and Identities
You will be required to write a 3000 word report on social inequalities and identities which
addresses this question:
How, and to what extent, are social inequalities and identities affected by globalisation and social
change? Discuss your answer drawing on the themes of the module and focus on EITHER class,
OR gender, OR ethnicity. Give examples to illustrate your answer.
UZSNRB-30-2 Sociological Research and Investigation
You will be required to submit both of the following:
PORTFOLIO OF DATA OUTPUT AND ANALYSIS (3,000 WORDS) (50%)
The student will devise a research question from any substantive area of sociology. These could
include:



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




The Family and Life Course
Social Stratification and Inequality
Work and Employment
Crime and Deviance
Health and Illness
Shopping and Consumption
Science and Technology
Religion and Spirituality
Politics and Social Movements
The research question will be investigated using quantitative social research methods. The project
will require students to develop a hypothesis through a comprehensive and well-structured literature
survey which can be tested through the design and administration of a social survey or
questionnaire. The size of the population sample should be at least 30. The Report should be
presented using the following headings:







Abstract
Literature review (enduing with the hypotheses)
Methodology
Results
Discussion (including a critical reflection on the research design and an exploration of how the
research question might be approached differently using a qualitative research design)
References
Appendences (synopsis form signed by your tutor, a section of data analysis, etc)
PROJECT PROPOSAL FORM (3,000 WORDS). (50%)
The assessment is the production of a PPF. The PPF has three parts
1.
A research plan or design which lists your questions and how you will go about answering
them
2.
A list of 30 recent, relevant and ‘cutting edge’ citations which will inform your project at level 3
3.
An annotated bibliography of the five most important sources of the thirty (above)
A template is provided on BlackBoard - you should download the appropriate template and
complete it.
Level 3
UZSNPA-30-3 Contemporary Critiques of Modern Society
You are required to submit an essay of not more than 3,000 words from the following list, choosing
a different title from that of your original submission.
1.
Outline and discuss the ways in which Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer explain fascism
and anti-Semitism in the modern world.
2.
Describe and evaluate Horkheimer’s and Adorno’s analysis of the ‘culture industry’.
3.
Bauman has described the Holocaust as: ‘An outcome of a unique encounter between factors
by themselves quite ordinary and common’. Critically appraise this view.
4.
Critically assess the use Bauman makes of the concept of the ‘stranger’ in his social theory.
5.
Outline and critically appraise Jürgen Habermas’s argument that modernity is an ‘unfinished
project’ worthy of completion.
6.
What, according to Foucault, is the relationship between power and knowledge? Critically
assess his claims with reference to one or more of his major studies.
7.
What is the significance of the ‘gaze’ and the ‘confession’ in Foucault's accounts of the
emergence of modern societies?
8.
Critically assess the claim that we live in a postmodern society.
9.
Outline and criticise the theory of globalization offered by EITHER Roland Robertson OR
Anthony Giddens.
10. Discuss Robert Brenner’s argument that the recent onset of depression economics has
resulted from a longstanding crisis of profitability which has afflicted global capitalism since the
1970s
11. ‘The ubiquity of Western cultural forms around the world cannot in itself be taken as evidence
that the world is being homogenized’. Discuss.
12. Compare and contrast the accounts of global ecological crisis provided by Ulrich Beck and
John Bellamy Foster.
UZSNPJ-30-3 Project Unit in Sociology
You are required to submit a revised version of their original project, taking account of any
comments made by their supervisor on the original submission. You are also required to undertake
a 15 minute individual presentation. Further details can be found in your module handbook. You
are strongly encouraged to contact your supervisor and/or the module leader for further advice and
guidance.
UZSNPK-30-3 Psychoanalysis and Society
You are required to submit TWO essays, of 2000 words each.
1.
What are the basic questions that psychoanalysis addresses? What are its key terms and
methods of enquiry?
2.
Analyse a contemporary social phenomena (e.g. the Iraq war, terrorism, body piercing, gay
marriage, veiled women, cyber–relationships – anything!) using some elements of Freudian
theory. How might a Kleinian view of the same phenomena differ?
UZSNPS-15-3 Real and Virtual Worlds: On the Sociology of Cyberspace
You will be required to submit ONE essay of 2000 words from one of the following titles:
1.
Critically evaluate the term 'virtual reality'
2.
How far are there distinct ways of presenting the self in virtual reality?
3.
Outline Foucault’s theory of ‘panopticism’ and discuss its relevance for sociological
understanding of surveillance in cyberspace
4.
To what extent can we consider virtual communities to be ‘real’ communities?
A word count and a bibliography must be provided. A maximum deduction of 10% will be made for
failure to comply.
UZSNPU-30-3 Social Psychology of Violence and Crime
You are required to submit revised versions of your original report (5000 words) and annotated
bibliography (1500 words), taking into account any comments made by the marker regarding the
original submissions.
You are strongly recommended to contact either Gail Darke
gail2.darke@uwe.ac.uk or Carolyn Brina Carolyn.brina@uwe.ac.uk for further guidance.
UZSNPW-30-3 Criminology Project
You are required to submit a revised version of both your original annotated bibliography and
project, taking account of any comments made by the supervisor on the original submission. You
are also strongly encouraged to contact your supervisor for further advice and guidance.
UZSNQA-30-3 Critical Criminology
You are required to submit an essay of not more than 3,000 words from the following list, choosing
a different title from that of your original submission.
1.
Nils Christie (2004:1-12) has claimed that ‘crime does not exist’. Critically evaluate this claim
and its implications for the discipline of criminology.
2.
Power distorts the criminal justice system. Discuss with reference to at least three of the
following themes: race, sexuality, learning disability, corporations, wealth, class, gender, state
power or age.
3.
Critically evaluate the contribution of feminist theories to the criminological endeavour.
4.
"Cultural criminology uses 'evidence' of everyday existence, wherever it is found and in
whatever form it can be found; the debris of everyday is its 'data'" (Presdee, 2004: 15) in the
light of this reference, critically consider what cultural criminology is and how it locates within
the general field of criminology.
5.
Crime and spectacular subcultures: is there a nexus? Discuss in relation to relevant
criminological theories and with reference to case studies
UZSNQB-30-3 Criminal Justice Placement
You are required to submit a revised version of your original 9000 word report/critical reflection of
your work placement, taking into account any comments made by the marker regarding the original
submission.
UZSNQD-30-3 Sociology Placement Module
You are required to submit a revised version of your 9000 word report/critical reflection of your work
placement, taking into account any comments made by the marker regarding the original
submission.
Please contact the module leader to discuss further.
Email: Andrew.Mathers@uwe.ac.uk or tel: 0117 328 2859
UZSNQG-15-3 Victims and Victimology
You are required to write a 2000 word essay on the following question:
Victims are treated as equals to the offender in the Criminal Justice system. Critically discuss.
UZSNQH-30-3 Stop, Look, Listen! A Sociology of Culture
You are required to submit BOTH of the following:
Coursework 1 Referral: 2,000 word assignment entitled
‘Choosing one school or tradition of cultural theory (e.g. The Birmingham Centre), critique the ways
in which that tradition continues to contribute to understandings of contemporary culture.’
Coursework 2 Referral: 3,000 word assignment entitled
‘Detail the ways in which your thoughts relating to culture have changed during the duration of this
module. Illustrate your answer with examples.’
You should detail your participation in this module and recall how your perceptions about culture
have changed through this participation.
UZSNQK-30-3 Comparative and Transnational Criminology
You are required to submit TWO essays, of 2000 words each.
1.
Critically discuss and evaluate the extent and consequences of the ‘global war on drugs’.
2.
Critically discuss and evaluate the efforts made by comparative criminology to account for the
disparity in crime rates between western and non-western nations.
UZSNQL-15-3 Governing Bodies, Trafficking and Markets
You are required to submit a 2500 word book review as detailed below:
Choose ONE book to review from the list provided in the module handbook. Write a review of the
book. A book review should summarise the contents and critically evaluate them. In your review
address the following:
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Give your review a title making clear which book you are reviewing.
Who is the author of the book and what is their disciplinary background and research interest?
What are the main aims of the book and what is its central argument?
How is the book organized?
What methods are used?
How does the book relate to the themes of the course?
What the books strengths and weaknesses?
Drawing on your wider reading, critically assess the author’s contribution to debate in the field.
Cite AT LEAST three other sources you have read which assisted in your review of this book.
Your review should be no more than 2500 words.
You must choose a different book from that of your original submission.
UZSNQN-30-3 Representations of Crime and Deviance
You are required to submit a themed case study of 3000 words.
Possible Options
There is a number of options here:
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How do the same media represent different crimes/deviance? For example, contrast a
newspaper’s representations of knife crime and of drunk driving; contrast representations of
different crimes in crime fiction.
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How do different media (TV, newspapers, photos, film etc) represent the same
crime/deviance? For example, contrast how newspapers and TV represent murder; contrast
the real crime of the serial killer Aileen Wuornos with the film of her life, Monster.
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How do representations of crime and deviance change (a) over time, and/or (b) over the life
history of a series of novels, films, TV etc? For example, how do representations of serial
killing develop in the Dexter novels?
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You could also look at how a whole website represents crime – for example,
www.zodiackiller.com, which deals with serial killers.
For all of these, it is essential to identify and use methods for the analysis of representations (eg.
content analysis, discourse analysis and so on)
UZSNQP-30-3 Childhood Disorder and Disordered Childhood
You will be required to complete THREE Elements:
Element 1 Individual research project (2000 words) 25%: In this report of 2000 words you should
critically discuss an issue of choice in relation to childhood disorder and/or disordered childhood
drawing out: a) the sociological dimensions b) the therapeutic dimensions c) the social policy
dimensions. You should make sure your project report uses the relevant academic/policy and or
professional literature
Element 2 Viva on research project 25%.
Element 3 Essay (2000 words) 25% Topic: ‘It might be possible to avoid childhood disorder but not
a disordered childhood’. Discuss with reference to contemporary childhood. (You should take the
marker’s comments on your previous submission into account.)
UZSNQR-15-3 Social Movement, Political Action and Social Change
You are required to submit a project (2500 words) along the lines set out on page 33 of the Module
Handbook. Please contact the module leader for any further information required.
Email: Andrew.Mathers@uwe.ac.uk or tel: 0117 328 2859
UZSNQS-15-3 Globalisation, Power and Identity
Write a 2000 word essay on the question below:
Critically evaluate how the ‘cultural’, ‘global’ and ‘complexity’ turns have challenged and transformed
the sub-discipline of political sociology. Illustrate your answer by highlighting debates and
developments in relation to one of the following topics:
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The form of social and political power
The restructuring of the nation state
Social and Political Identity
The mobilization of social movements
Political violence and terror
The transformation of citizenship
UZSNQU-30-3 The Family, Community and Crime
You are required to submit a revised version of your original submission.
UZSNQV-15-3 Terrorism
You are required to submit a 2500 word essay from one of the following questions:
1.
To what extent can the ‘war on terrorism’ be considered an exercise in State terrorism?
2.
Critically evaluate the successes and failures of terrorist groups motivated by nationalist
ideologies throughout the twentieth century.